Calif.'s $68B high-speed rail: The "project of the century"The 141-mile Bakersfield-to-Los Angeles section of California's $68 billion, high-speed rail project presents a monumental engineering challenge, as the rail will need to pass through the Tehachapi Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains and more than six earthquake faults. Football-field-long boring machines will need to be maneuvered into the mountain canyons to create access roads, viaducts and tunnels. "It is the project of the century," said Bill Ibbs, professor of civil engineering at the University of California at Berkeley. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model)
(11/12)

N.Y. governor to seek $30B in federal disaster aidNew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will seek at least $30 billion in federal disaster relief funding, of which an estimated $3.5 billion will go toward repairing the state's bridges, commuter rail lines, tunnels and subway lines damaged by superstorm Sandy in late October, officials say. About $12 billion in disaster aid is available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which means Congress will likely need to authorize more spending in order for Cuomo's request to be met. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(11/12)

Multiple mixed-use projects under way in Bethesda, Md.A $200 million mixed-use project that includes 250 residential units, 40,000 square feet of retail space and underground parking spaces for 1,200 vehicles is one of several projects being developed in Bethesda, Md. Projects under way in other areas of Bethesda include the Gallery of Bethesda and the replacement of the former Mid-Pike Plaza shopping center in North Bethesda. The Gazette (Gaithersburg, Md.)
(11/9)

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Economic Update

How will we fund transportation infrastructure needs?There is not a lot of support for an increased gasoline tax to help fund transportation infrastructure, but President Barack Obama and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood "have a considerable opportunity to make a mark on transportation," says Mort Downey, a former deputy transportation secretary. Where the needed funding will come from is unknown. However, the public needs to be educated as to what's at stake, says Marcia Hale, president of Building America’s Future. "If you do the right type of organizing, people will come around on it." Bloomberg
(11/9)

Innovation & Green Building

Experts weigh in on this year's "coolest" buildingsArchitects and engineers offer insights on the 25 structures featured in this list of the "Coolest New Buildings of the Year." The list includes Moscow's Mercury Tower and New York City's Freedom Tower. The buildings were selected based on their "innovation, creativity, structure, sustainability and buzz," Jennifer Polland and Melissa Stanger write. Business Insider
(11/12)

Concrete: A better way to store solar heatMany materials have been used to create storage systems for heat produced at concentrating solar power plants, but concrete might be the most effective, safest and least expensive, according to researchers at the University of Arkansas. They created a proprietary concrete to make plates and used a thermocline system to set the plates parallel in a storage tank. Heat was conducted with an efficiency of 93.9%, they say. EarthTechling.com
(11/10)

Policy Watch

What to watch for in CongressThe upcoming "fiscal cliff," infrastructure investment and labor and environmental issues are among the top concerns for construction-industry professionals now that the election has ended, according to the Associated General Contractors of America. A positive result of the election is that that voters approved $122 billion in bond issues for infrastructure upgrades, which will advance highway, transportation and school projects, as well as water and sewer improvements, AGC President and CEO Steve Sandherr said. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership
(11/13)

AGC’s Data DigestData DIGest is your source for the latest economic news relevant to the construction industry with commentary and analysis from AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson. It brings you actionable information to stay ahead of the curve on issues such as materials, prices, construction employment, and state-by-state construction trends. Subscribe at www.agc.org/datadigest.

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